The dust had not settled before the Jesuits in Ecuador began responding to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that violently shook the northwest coast of the country on April 16. The quake left nearly 700 people dead, roughly 16,600 injured, many missing and an estimated 20,000 people losing their homes. President Rafael Correa called the disaster the "greatest tragedy in the last 67 years" and declared a state of emergency for the entire country. Read more... The Ecuadorian provincial, Fr. Gilberto Freire has sent a letter asking for help, describing the present situation and the emergency and reconstruction response Jesuits are giving. Read the letter...